This invention relates to a multipurpose garment useful as an article of sports equipment and also independently to be worn as a shirt during normal activity. More specifically, the invention pertains to a lightweight, weather resistant jersey of an elastic fabric capable of stretching fully to the coaming of an open cockpit boat, for example in the manner of a spray skirt for a kayak, to shield the wearer and the cockpit from spray, wind, rain, sun and the like.
Water sports activities using kayaks has continued to develop in recent years with seemingly ever increasing popularity. Although made of modern materials, kayaks today bear close resemblance to the traditional Eskimo boat. They have a narrow beam, low freeboard and one or more cockpits each typically formed by an opening in the deck. The operator sits or kneels in the cockpit and powers the kayak manually with a double-ended paddle having a blade on each end.
Because of the kayak""s excellent maneuverability and speed, many enthusiasts use them in fast moving, turbulent bodies of water under so-called whitewater conditions. Due to proximity to the water, the operator is often sprayed, splashed and occasionally capsized. To keep the operator and contents of the kayak dry, kayak manufacturers and sports outfitters have developed a selection of equipment intended to shield the body of the operator from spray and to prevent the cockpit from inundating with water caused by wave splashing or accidental roll over.
The earliest splash protection clothing utilized by the original Eskimo developers of the kayak and their descendants might have had a single piece parka design. Before synthetic waterproof clothing was developed, the parka body would be made of natural materials, perhaps such as animal skins which might be oil-coated to repel water. The parka would be expected to include a hood and long sleeves for protection against cold weather and water. The cockpit would likely be only slightly larger than the body of the kayak operator and the boat deck may have been built up high around the paddler. These features would reduce the risk of water from infiltrating between the body of the operator and the rim of the cockpit.
Use of kayaks has generally evolved from utilitarian purposes such as hunting and fishing for food to sport activities. Largely to accommodate a variety of cockpit opening shapes and kayak operator sizes, and to facilitate escape from a capsized kayak, two piece splash protection systems are now common. Such systems include a spray skirt and a dry top.
The spray skirt has a generally broad, flat portion typically designed to fit substantially flush to the kayak deck. The periphery of the flat portion is shaped to closely mate with the rim of the cockpit opening. A mechanism is usually provided to attach the edge of the spray skirt to the rim with a water tight seal. A quick release mechanism, often called a xe2x80x9cgrab loopxe2x80x9d is also often included so that the user can detach the skirt to exit rapidly from the kayak hull when necessary. The two piece spray skirt has a hole approximately the size of the waist of the user and positioned at the location of the kayak operator""s torso. Often the spray skirt has a tubular xe2x80x9cchimneyxe2x80x9d ascending above or descending below the deck. Commonly the extension is fit snugly to the midsection of the operator""s body.
The dry top part of the two piece system typically includes a water impenetrable cover for the upper body of the kayak operator. Many variations for arm and head openings are possible. For example, the sleeves may be long or short and the neck opening can terminate in a hood to keep the neck and hair dry. The waist of the dry top is normally adapted to connect to the circumference of the hole in the spray skirt with a water tight seal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,480 describes a typical conventional spray skirt for a kayak.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,915 discloses a kayak cockpit cover primarily for a xe2x80x9csquirtxe2x80x9d kayak intended for use in whitewater. The cockpit cover has an upper body garment or dry top worn by the paddler as a waste closure. The dry top is constructed integrally with a planar covering section having an outside sealing edge assembly that inserts into a complementary tubular channel formed in the deck surrounding the cockpit. The edge of the cockpit cover is sealed to the deck by inflating the edge assembly within the channel. The cover is bulky and would not be worn as a garment independent of its function while operating a kayak.
A growing commercially significant group of kayak users enjoy kayaking in less than rough water conditions. These xe2x80x9ccasualxe2x80x9d kayak enthusiasts prefer calm waters of lakes, slow moving streams, broad rivers and the like. Because kayaks are generally light weight, small and have shallow drafts, they are favored by casual users for activities such as camping and exploring remote wilderness areas.
Casual kayak users also have need to keep themselves and the cockpit dry and otherwise shielded from the environment. However, the casual user is not as likely as the whitewater kayaker to become drenched or capsized by turbulent water flow. In contrast, the casual user probably risks exposure to rain, snow or spray from an errant paddle stroke. Casual kayakers are also concerned with exposure to sun, wind and insects. Moreover, casual kayakers frequently paddle in still water and therefore are required to expend considerable energy while paddling. This activity can generate much body heat and perspiration in the process. An absolute moisture barrier used by many whitewater kayakers can trap heat and moisture inside the boat and could become hot and uncomfortable for the casual kayak user.
Conventional spray skirt and dry top are also typically bulky. They are difficult to stow in small spaces when not needed. They are also heavy and occupy a large volume when being transported. Traditional spray skirt and dry top systems have an ungainly appearance when worn outside of the boat. The dry tops usually are made from thick foam or rubber material and give the impression of a diver""s wet suit or a rain slicker. Sometimes the user detaches the spray skirt from the cockpit and keeps the dry top connected to the hole of the spray skirt. In that case, the flat portion of the spray skirt either extends parallel to the ground ahead and behind the wearer or droops down, perhaps touching the ground. Casual kayak users sometimes carry a kayak overland to a remotely accessible waterway or around an obstacle such as shallows or rapids. Portaging along wooded forest trails while wearing conventional dry top and spray skirt equipment can be awkward at best and dangerous at worst.
In sum, conventional dry top and spray skirt systems for kayaks have been designed primarily for rough and usually cold water boating. For casual kayak uses these system designs suffer from numerous drawbacks such as:
(a) They are heavy.
(b) They are bulky and take up excessive space when stowed away.
(c) They can have shoulder straps to keep flimsy fabric skirt chimneys high. The straps are confining, get in the way of changing layers of garments worn underneath dry top, and interfere with the personal flotation device worn by the boater.
(d) They can have drawcords at waist to keep the chimneys high. These cords are tight, uncomfortable, tend to slide down and can allow water to enter the cockpit when the cord is not very snug against the body.
(e) They can have elastic chimneys which require proper fit around the body and must adjust to even slight body size variation produced by thickness of undergarments. Hence, adjustment straps or multiple chimney tubes for different configurations must be used.
(f) The skirts should be specially fit to kayak cockpit shape. Different skirts are needed for different kayaks.
(g) Dry tops attached to skirts seal water better but hinder escape from capsized boat.
(h) Dry tops separate from skirts are easier to exit but are less dry.
(i) Rubber and rubber-coated nylon skirts and tops have poor breathability. They can be hot and stuffy, and feel uncomfortable against skin.
(j) They are difficult and time consuming to don and to adjust for proper fit.
(k) They are expensive
(l) They have limited stretching capability which restricts body movement of the paddler.
It is desirable to have a general purpose or light duty spray shield for casual kayak use. The desired spray shield would be light, comfortable to wear against the skin, breathable for a comfortable climate inside the boat, and yet have high insulation-to-weight characteristics. It is needed to have a spray shield that is easy to don, easy to mount to the cockpit coaming, adapted to fit different size boat cockpits, and compact for efficient storage. It is also desirable to have a sufficiently stylish garment that can be worn as an article of clothing when not being used as a kayak spray shield.
The present invention thus provides a multipurpose garment suitable to be worn by a person in a cockpit of a transportation vessel having a coaming surrounding the person, the multipurpose garment comprising
(a) a shirt body adapted to cover at least the torso of the person, and consisting essentially of a mono-directionally elastic fabric characterized by elasticity of at least about 30% in a longitudinal dimension aligned parallel to the width of the garment, and by elasticity of at most about 5% in a transverse dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension,
(b) a hem defining a circumferential opening at the bottom of the garment, and
(c) a panel proximate to the hem consisting essentially of a bi-directionally elastic fabric characterized by elasticity of at least about 30% in a first dimension and by elasticity of at least about 30% in a second dimension orthogonal to the first dimension, which garment is adapted to stretch elastically such that the hem circumferentially overlaps the coaming to form a complete removable cover over the cockpit between the trunk of the person and the coaming.
There is also provided an environmental barrier system for a boat comprising,
a boat comprising a cockpit to be occupied by the person surrounded by a coaming,
a multipurpose garment comprising
(a) a shirt body adapted to cover at least the torso of the person, and consisting essentially of a mono-directionally elastic fabric characterized by elasticity of at least about 30% in a longitudinal dimension aligned parallel to the width of the garment, and by elasticity of at most about 5% in a transverse dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension,
(b) a hem defining a circumferential opening at the bottom of the garment, and
(c) a panel proximate to the hem consisting essentially of a bi-directionally elastic fabric characterized by elasticity of at least about 30% in a first dimension and by elasticity of at least about 30% in a second dimension orthogonal to the first dimension,
which garment is adapted to stretch elastically such that the hem circumferentially overlaps the coaming to form a complete removable cover over the cockpit between the trunk of the person and the coaming and
fastening means for removably attaching the hem coextensively to the coaming to form a spray-proof seal between the hem and the coaming.
Still further this invention provides a method of protecting a person from spray in a cockpit of a boat having a coaming surrounding the cockpit comprising the steps of
(I) providing a multipurpose garment comprising (a) a spray resistant shirt body adapted to cover at least the torso of the person, and consisting essentially of a mono-directionally elastic fabric characterized by elasticity of at least about 30% in a longitudinal dimension aligned parallel to the width of the garment, and by elasticity of at most about 5% in a transverse dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension, (b) a hem defining a circumferential opening at the bottom of the garment, and (c) a panel proximate to the hem consisting essentially of a bi-directionally elastic fabric characterized by elasticity of at least about 30% in a first dimension and by elasticity of at least about 30% in a second dimension orthogonal to the first dimension,
(II) placing the spray resistant shirt on the person, and
(III) with the person occupying the cockpit, stretching the hem coextensively over the coaming so that the garment covers the cockpit, thereby shielding the person and the cockpit between the person and the coaming from spray.